The summary is a bit redundant: Mockumentaries, as a genre, are fairly quirky.In this case, recently divorced Myles, also a wannabe filmmaker, decides to make a documentary about trying to find true love in L.A. He commits to going on 20 dates and recording the results. Unfortunately, halfway through, he falls in love with one of his dates and now has to figure out how to complete the project without alienating his new love.What makes this different from standard mockumentaries -- and what some of the other IMDB reviewers seem to be missing -- is that, while it's clear that the final film isn't a true account of the events (some of the dates are obviously faked, and Elie the villainous producer can't really be THAT evil), it isn't so clear whether Myles Berkowitz (credited as writer and director, as well as star) started out with a serious intent to make a documentary, or whether it was meant to be fiction from the outset.Most of the evidence points to Berkowitz' initial sincerity. This *is* his only film (except for a bit part in "No Small Affair," 16 years before this movie), and Elie *is* listed as Executive Producer. The official budget *is* the stated $60K. Most of the early dates seem real -- it's only the later ones that start to feel scripted, especially the feminist ballerina.One thing that gives this movie its charm, then, is that while Myles (the character) fumes about the way in which his original vision for the movie is eroding away from pressure from Elie, Berkowitz (the filmmaker) seems to be going through the same genuine quandary for a different reason -- it didn't take his full 20 dates to find love, and NOW what's he supposed to do?The cover job is both charming and disorienting: He goes back over the old footage and edits it so it looks like it could have been a mockumentary from the start, but plays it from the hip so it looks like a mockumentary pretending to be a documentary.Wouldn't Robert McKee be proud?Others might not have the same sense of pride. The film will come off as either a clever if ham-fisted attempt to make lemon footage into lemonade, or a pretentious and annoying trip into the avenues of Independent Film by a blind drunkard.Viewer's choice, and it seems to depend on what the viewer thinks of Myles: Is he annoying, or is he cute?I thought he was cute, and while the film is hardly a classic, it's worth a try. Look for it on cable (that's where I found it), and if you're sick of it after half an hour, turn it off and not much lost.

Filmed in a documentary style, but you can pretty well tell participants had been coached. A recently divorced wannabe film maker(Myles Berkowitz)sees a chance to liven up his love life and step into the movie biz at the same time. He intends to make a documentary piece about finding love by filming twenty dates including ramifications. The comedy is spotty at best; the rest is mishap after mishap. Also taking part are Richard Arlook, Robert McKee and the enticing Elisabeth Wagner. Trying for credibility the fetching Tia Carrere is talked into a cameo. This will suffice as a handbook on how NOT to get a satisfactory date.

This movie had an mildly interesting premise: a zany guy goes on twenty dates and films the result, offering insight into the game of romance. Hilarity presumably ensues. The premise is intriguing, but the resulting film suffers a fundamental flaw: the protagonist, Myles Berkowitz, simply isn't charming or funny enough to sustain the viewer's interest over the length of the film. Berkowitz has some funny moments, but his humor is of the smug, abrasive, everyone-is-dumb-but-me variety, which quickly becomes tiresome. By the end of the film, I found myself wondering how such an obnoxious man convinced any woman to date him, never mind twenty. Neither does Berkowitz have any insight to offer us on the art of love, ultimately concluding with nebulous statements like, "Love can conquer all; love is a strange magical thing." Stendhal he ain't.2/5 stars. Possibly worth watching on cable if you're bored.

Was this a mockumentary? Was it a documentary? Was it a student film. I will say this: it was funny. Some of it was obviously fictional, I just don't know how much. Was this a doccumentary which was re-edited with some scripted parts to give it pizazz or was it supposed to be this way from the beginning. It certainly kept me guessing. It wasnt' as good at its press, though it obviously impressed people at Slam Dance. It doesn't actually have anything to say about dating in Los Angeles, except in repeating the old adage about LA women needing an emotional sky-cap to carry all the baggage they bring with them. The nebish trying to get a date bit has been done so much better in every one of Woody Allen's films. So why do I like this movie so much? I have no idea. It's on cable now, so watch it.